In 2014, I photographed a cute little high school senior from Lexington. We messaged back and forth over Facebook messenger to set up her session, and whenever we met in person I knew she’d be a forever friend. That little high school cutie was Kylie Anne, and little did we know that the Lord had some big plans for our friendship years later!

As she attended Clemson, I’d pay her visits whenever I was in town or she’d stop by our house when she was in Greenville. Once we got Sampson she became his official God-parent (lol), fairly certain she may love him more than we do! I’ve walked through many seasons with her & have gotten to know her so well over the years. Whenever I was reading through applications and saw her name, my heart exploded. I always knew she loved photography, but honestly didn’t know she wanted to pursue it. Knowing that she had a fire in her heart to push forward and soak up as much as she could, that got me so excited!

KA has photographed multiple weddings alongside me, ran 1000000 steps on a wedding day for me, and culled so many weddings. The girl brings the party wherever she goes & makes me laugh every time I see her. She compliments mine and Shea’s calm and level demeanor, and when the 3 of us get together it’s the most fun. Spending more time with her in this season of life has been so fun, and watching her skill, talent, and confidence grow has been the sweetest gift.

I am so excited to introduce you to Kylie Anne, and without further ado, take it away KA!

1. Introduce yourself! What are some of your nicknames?

Hi there! My name is Kylie Anne (as of July 7th!!) Hoppe. Daniel Hoppe is my BFF/eye candy/husband that I love lots. I am a recent Clemson graduate and call Greenville my new home where we recently bought the most bomb house that we like to call “the chipwood hood”. I am passionate about booty dancing, messy beds, and laugh lines. I run on God’s undeserving grace, and I am the world’s worst texter. Some people call me KA… but for the most part I am boring in the nickname department.

2. Where are you from?

I am from the great small town of Lexington, S.C. Known for the many grocery stores, and the Lake Murray redneck yacht club.

3. What season of life are you currently in?

I am in the newlywed/transition out of college stage. Hands up for anyone else that has no clue how to be an adult. I am not the best with change, but it has been such a fruitful season on trying to figure out who I am, and what the Lord is putting on my heart.

4. What are some little joys that brighten your day?

Time with Jessi’s dog Sampson, reality TV (yas I keep up with the Kardashians), voice memos instead of texts, and big bear hugs!

5. What are you most looking forward to this year?

I am most looking forward to doing life with my PIC Daniel Hoppe. We have been dating for over 5 years, so I am so excited to start all the married firsts with him this year. I am obviously nervous about living with a boy, but hey they say marriage is an adventure right?

6. If you had one song that was your life anthem, what would it be?

The whole Reputation Album…for obvious reasons!

7. What do you love about photography?

I love capturing memories. I am an experience person, so it makes me excited looking back on photographs and remembering the background story that is playing in that image. A picture is worth 1,000 words, amirite!? It is also a challenge, so photography motivates me to continue mastering the skill. There is always something to learn, and it’s so fun seeing your passion grow and reflect your style.

8. What lead you to apply for the JNP internship?

If you know Jessi Nichols, then you would have applied for the internship too. I met this lady when she took my high school senior pictures, and it was love at first sight…truthfully. The Holy Spirit was all through her, and her love to be intentional with others drew me to her. I immediately knew I wanted to be friends with her, so I went on a limb and asked if she would like to hang…after her pity yes and our first meet up we have been friends ever since. Throughout college I got to have lots of coffee dates, spend the nights, and Sampson hangs, so she quickly became my person.

Around my junior year I wanted a way to capture memories forever, so I could never forget them. I asked my parents for a DSLR and I just ran with it from there. Once I started to learn my camera, I knew I had a passion for it and wanted to improve. I would always ask Jessi questions, and she was the best to help me out with anything I was struggling with. Once she posted that she was accepting interns, I knew I wanted to apply…there was so much to learn and so much opportunity that came with it. When you want to be the best, you need to learn from the best! Never did I think I would get it, but the Lord gives good gifts for those who ask.

9. Since we are halfway through your internship, what has been your favorite thing you've learned so far?

How to serve your clients WELL. She gives her 100% to her clients all the dang time. I have seen her spend hours on the phone with brides, whipping sweat off of a bride’s forehead, packing all the snacks so she doesn’t miss a moment of the wedding day, and have heard all the prayers she prays over her clients. Throughout the whole JNP experience the clients come first, always. Her business is literally run on loving and serving her clients from first email, to the gallery being delivered in their inbox. I will never forget the way she loves people and I have learned so much on serving clients that I want to bring to my business.

10. What are you most grateful for right now?

Currently living my best life right now… but if I would have to narrow it down, it would be my family, my friends, and that God never stops moving in my life.

After posting about seeking an intern, I was so humbled by the responses I received. Reading through applications was so fun for me, virtually meeting new friends as well as getting to know others on a deeper level. I’ll never forget reading Shea’s for the first time — I got about halfway through her application, and before I could even finish it I just knew. We share very similar stories: Met our men sophomore year, majored in Marketing, got engaged in December of our senior year, and weddings in August just after graduation. The parallels were too funny not to stand it.

While reading her application I found myself looking at her Instagram, and couldn’t help but have a friend crush on her! I truly knew in my heart that she was it! She had a drive and a passion in her words, as well as a steadiness that was hard to miss. Before working with JNP, Shea already had a background in second shooting weddings & was already fostering her own business. It made my heart so excited to snag her up and help her further her career!

She’s been an integral part of JNP since she began in March. She’s photographed multiple weddings by my side, culled more weddings than we can count (until we all got slap happy from staring at computers for so long haha), and has loved and served my couples as if they are her own. My favorite thing about her is her transparency, she’s so honest and so refreshing. Plus, she’s as steady as they come, but when the girl has something funny to say — she literally makes me laugh so hard!

I am so excited to introduce you to Shea, and without further ado, I’m going to let her take it away!

My life pre-college was evenly split between Menlo Park, California and Cincinnati, Ohio, but I’d tell you Cincy is home!

3. What season of life are you currently in?

A major transition season (and NOT my favorite!). I graduated from Clemson in May, and am now starting a new job all while interning for JNP and wedding planning. It’s a whole lot… and I’m so thankful to go through it with Jessi and Kylie Anne who understand the struggle!

4. What are some little joys that brighten your day?

My fiancé Daniel can always make me laugh! Also, cool weather (fall, where you at?!), when I get packages in the mail (just being real), catching up with a friend who I haven’t talked to in a while, and anytime I see a German Shephard (@ Daniel- can we PLEASE get one soon?!?!)

5. What are you most looking forward to this year?

Getting married! Praise! Engagement has definitely not been a season of rainbows and butterflies that I feel like people say it is. It’s like all of the commitment of marriage but with none of the perks. Gimme those perks!

6. If you had one song that was your life anthem, what would it be?

Oh gosh, maybe You’ve Got A Friend by James Taylor!

7. What do you love about photography?

Before I got engaged I would have told you it’s getting to share in the joy of life’s most precious (and exciting!) moments with people. While that’s still true, now I would probably say getting to serve my brides in a season of life that is stressful and can be really lonely!

8. What lead you to apply for the JNP internship?

From my year of Instagram stalking her, I thought Jessi was just the greatest person…. And I was right! She is! She runs an extremely successful business but is always able to keep Christ at the center of her work and that’s the best role model I could ever ask for in this industry!

9. Since we are halfway through your internship, what has been your favorite thing you've learned so far?

Gah! Halfway?! We just started! That’s crazy. This question is actually really easy for me to answer, and it has little to do with what Jessi has taught me compared to what she has shown me through the way she works. Full disclosure- I had a LOT of insecurities built up coming into this internship. My business is so young that I felt like I wasn’t qualified, I was already working a part time job for the semester and my time was limited, and if I’m being totally honest, I was really scared of feeling like an outsider because Jessi and Kylie Anne (my co-intern, who truly is the absolute GREATEST) were already good friends.

But, per usual, God shattered all of my misconceptions the moment I met Jessi at Starbucks for the first time. She wasn’t the scary, established photographer I had imaged (sorry Jess, lol), she was just like a friend I had known forever. A true, genuine friend, who cared for me and wanted the best for me in this internship. All of my fear melted away in a matter of five minutes.

But the catch is, Jessi doesn’t just make me feel like this. Jessi makes EVERYONE feel like this. The way she treats her brides is so special. She cares so deeply for each one, and they light up when she shows up on their wedding day because she has a way of calming their nerves and making them feel like the most special girl on their day. And while I’m appreciative for all of the camera tricks, editing hacks, and posing ideas, seeing the beautiful way Jessi serves her brides has by far been my favorite thing to learn!

10. What are you most grateful for right now?

Even though I’m in a tough season, God has given me COUNTLESS things to be grateful for. I’m thankful for Jessi and Kylie Anne, and getting to share my entrepreneurial journey with them. Having people who understand what I’m going through is just the greatest blessing. They help me through the struggles and are the first to celebrate the little victories alongside me.

I’m thankful for the best fiancé who can handle all my unstable-ness! Haha! Daniel is truly God’s greatest gift to me and I CAN’T WAIT to be his wife. Countdown is on! I’m also so grateful for the community of strong believers and great friends I have around me. God provided me with an awesome group of girls in college who are now my best friends. Also, to be honest, always really grateful for caffeine! Especially in busy seasons like this one! All the praise hands!